Reverend Warren Simpson is at the helm at the Miracle Temple Ministries at Sevens Road in May Pen Clarendon. This dynamic minister of the Gospel had served in several capacities in the church before he was appointed as a pastor.

"First I was a youth president, then a Sunday school teacher, then I was appointed as an evangelist; and since 2011, I have been a pastor at my church," noted Reverend Simpson.

Reverend Simpson pointed out that his move up the ladder from being youth president to pastor has been seen by him as growth in the faith, as he has moved up the ranks to be where he is today in the Lord; knowing that the hands of the Almighty have been upon him since he entered ministry.

"This is just a part of destiny that I should accomplish here on earth," noted Simpson who is also a trained teacher by profession.

He said that him being a minister of the Gospel does not mean that he has now reached where the Lord would want him to reach. According to him, being a pastor is not the highest level one can reach as a church administrator. He added that if one is looking at his rise in the Gospel from a spiritual perspective, being a pastor is not the highest position he can reach because there is still other positions to attain.

spiritual ambition

"In terms of being an overseer and bishop, being a pastor spiritually does not necessarily mean that you are at the highest level as far as it relates to your spiritual ambition. So therefore, I would still like to grow more in the grace of God and understand more things about God, especially as it relates to evangelism and the saving of souls," explained Simpson.

Reverend Simpson, who has over 300 members in his church, believes that his life as a pastor is now more challenging in some areas. He stressed that he is now seen as a shepherd who has a flock to care for, and that his job must be challenging.

He added that because persons have different personalities then that should make the work he now does for the Lord a challenge. Simpson added that although Christians are governed by the Holy Spirit they are free moral agents, and God does not take away their personality. Each person he pastors could each represent a problem.

"So if you have three hundred different personalities then you could have three hundred different problems. And if you really care about those persons, it's not really a high profile job but one in which you are more of a servant. Jesus Christ himself came to be a servant, and being a servant it is not easy because you are always seeking for the good of persons," said the church leader.

Simpson added that even when those whom pastors lead do not give the impression that they are not seeking for their own good, they (pastors) have to be seeking for it (good) for them. He pointed out that in some instances it might be easier, in that pastors might not have to be pining over things they would like to put in place and they did not have the leadership power to do so.

"Now that I am in the leadership role then I am able to implement some programmes that I know would be beneficial to members. In other words offering a holistic kind of ministry," explained Simpson who added that he now has an arrangement whereby he is able to reach the poor and needy through a feeding programme once per week.

Reverend Simpson, who stated that he does not get any form of help from charity agencies to feed the needy, but from members of his congregation who believe strongly in helping those who are in severe need, said his favourite Bible verse is 'I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me' (Philippians 4:13). His favourite song is Just a closer walk with thee.

He wants Jamaicans to know that it does not matter how bad they think they have fallen in terms of sin and the wicked things they have done, God's grace in terms of whosoever (as is used in John 3:16), can be forgiven of sins if they believe that Jesus Christ died for them. He is also inviting all humans to 'come taste and see that the Lord is good'.